This black tea was grown on a small farm in the Bailin area of Fujian Province, near the coast of the East China Sea. The leaves are twisted and elegant, hand-rolled with golden leaf buds. A white tea varietal is used, which heightens the final flavor and fragrance. A full-bodied tea, it has notes of chocolate and apricots with a smooth, earthy finish. Brewed gongfu-style, it holds up to multiple infusions.

Amount of tea per serving
Many of our customers have learned to make tea as it's been prepared
for years - a small amount of tea in a large pot steeped for several
minutes. This comes from the European way of making tea. When we write
the steeping guidelines on our packages, we usually use this method.
Most companies' directions for making tea also use this version - it of
course makes sense for the tea merchant as it indicates more servings
per package and thus better perceived value. Many teas however, are
often prepared differently at origin, where some techniques call for
much more leaf per serving.

Let's look at one tea made each way and see what differences there are.

Western methodA
good example is our Nantou oolong, a tightly rolled greenish style from
Taiwan. One can use three or four grams of tea (a teaspoon) in a six
ounce cup and steep it for three minutes as many people do. One can
steep it a bit longer in a mug or pot as well.

The flavor and aroma are on the lighter side, pleasant without any strong flavors.

Gong fu method of brewing teaFor more premium teas, we suggest making them as they would in the country of origin. Gong fu cha
requires more concentration, skill and practice than the western
method. It uses the opposite logic - a large amount of tea in a small
vessel, infused for a very short time. The advantage to this is the
ability to pull a range of flavors from the tea from several infusions.
A small clay teapot or gaiwan (lidded cup) is used as the teaware of
choice, along with small tasting cups, so that each round can be
savored.

To make Nantou oolong gong fu style, use 8 grams in a gaiwan (3 oz
lidded cup). The gaiwan (or pot) is rinsed prior to the dry leaf being
put in. Then a quick rinse (a couple seconds) serves to keep the gaiwan
hot, as well as awaken the tightly rolled leaves.The result is an
intense floral aroma that emanates from the hydrated leaves when the
lid is removed. Hot water is again poured on the leaves and the lid
replaced. After ten or fifteen seconds the tea is poured. The flavor is
richer with more complexity. This method allows one to make the tea
exactly as they like it, always building on the taste from the previous
infusion.

Play with the amount of tea, the water temperature, and steeping time to re-steep - rely on taste, not color. Get to know the tea! Try it gong-fu style - use a lot of leaf and short steeps for multiple infusions.